Screenwriter Haas turns the page again

Pickup for 3rd Silver Bear novel from busy scribe

Screenwriter Derek Haas is advancing his parallel career as a novelist. Pegasus Books pre-emptively picked up the third volume in Haas' Silver Bear novel series about an elusive assassin. The series began with best-seller "The Silver Bear," published last summer, and the second installment, "Columbus," is set to hit store shelves in November.

"Columbus" finds the eponymous hero, aka the Silver Bear, hiding and recovering in Europe until rival hit men stalk him. Eventually turning up in Italy, Columbus becomes entangled with a mysterious woman with her own secrets.

In the untitled third volume, "he's going to be pulled back into the world that he was desperately trying to leave," Haas said.

Haas has received interest from producers about turning the book series into a television show, but no one has taken an option on the material. Meanwhile, Haas has taken to carrying a notebook to sketch his novel ideas between meetings and screenwriting sessions, which influence his longer-form work.

"It's about pace," he said. "The screenwriting completely teaches you about economy, and you want the audience on the edge of their seats, which is the equivalent of flipping pages."

Haas, repped by WMA and Industry Entertainment, wrote the screenplays for "Wanted" and "3:10 to Yuma" with partner Michael Brandt. The pair has scripts for "Beverly Hills Cop IV," "The A-Team" and "The Thirteenth Hour" in development.

"More than anything, it's not having to worry about budgets and focus groups and set pieces and notes telling you that the main character has to have a dog," Haas said of the appeal of a creative avenue outside of screenwriting. "Just getting to do whatever I want has been liberating and fun." (partialdiff)